Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Dogbreth/Falsetto Boy - Buzz Ballads (Snorin' Desert)

If I was good at any sort of extreme sport I would really
love to hit the surf, mountain, or concrete while listening to the jams on this
Dogbreth/Falsetto Boy split “Buzz Ballads”. For me the tracks on this split
from both bands nod to Promise Ring, and sometimes sound a bit like a more
straightforward Pavement. This little CS just came out on a new tape label out
of Phoenix,AZ cleverly called “Snorin’ Desert”. The A-side is the Falsetto Boy
side and the B-side is the Dogbreth side.

The Falsetto Boy side is riddled with sad melancholy fast
paced pop punk jammers. I like it a lot. It reminds me of some early lo-fi less
bass heavy Japanther. The pace of this bands side is really nice, as it is a
progression from fast to slow. Exciting to chill, you know what I mean.

The Dogbreth side seems a bit deeper than the ladder. The
music itself for me is more compelling and the lyrics are fun, quirky, and
pretty straightforward with some metaphors here and there. There are some cool
solos, I like the one on “To be a Dog”, and it’s probably my favorite track on
this split! Stir Sticks, is also an amazing guitar and bass whirlwind that I am
sure is amazing live. You can envision the kids wigging out over this one.

The packaging is straightforward and is definitely a nod to
punk demos of the 80’s and 90’s. There is a nice llama on the front, he looks
pretty confident. Overall this is a nice tape to add to the collection that
deserves more than one go around.

It should be obvious, this is a webzine we created to put cassette releases and the format of cassette itself on a pedestal. We are not doing this to be some sort of cassette snob, more-DIY-than-thou elitists or anything. We are doing it because all the formats that sound can be presented on are exciting and provide unique ways of shaping the listeners experience... so it is a shame that any one of these formats would fall by the wayside. Cassettes provide a listening experience that is similar to vinyl because of the intermission/moment of pause created by changing sides of the tape, but can be of almost any length between 30 seconds a side to an hour. Tapes can also be listened to in a car or while jogging.While today this format helps keep the home label alive, its almost a dream to remember that once every musician from Michael Jackson to REM had their releases on cassette. Cassettes were a legitimate format, not just for the DIY underground. Maybe we (thats you too) are the last guardians of this format. Maybe someone, someday will popularize cassettes again. In the meantime we keep the reels turning. A little offering because at least there are a few of you that know there is more than one god of this land.-- first CG post by Brian Miller April 2007